The “History of Games Conference 2024” took place from May 22 to May 24 at Birmingham City University. This event brought together scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts from the gaming community to explore the rich and diverse history of games.
Using a dissemination conference grant, GRADE member Meliha Handzic presented “Mapping the History of ex-Yu Video Games,” co-authored with Samir Ribic. This presentation was featured in session 2A, focusing on Local Game Histories, and was aligned with the objectives of GRADE Working Group 1. The research aimed to uncover hidden histories of grassroots cultures in creative computing, particularly highlighting the development of video gaming in the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s and 1990s.
The presentation significantly increased the visibility of GRADE’s activities and achievements within the history of gaming community. It successfully addressed priority research areas by showcasing the historical developments in ex-Yugoslavian video gaming, sparking lively discussions during both the formal Q&A sessions and informal social gatherings.
The engaging nature of the presentation led to valuable knowledge sharing and interaction among attendees, resulting in meaningful connections. Notably, it attracted an invitation to collaborate on editing a special issue of the European Historical Game Studies journal, specifically devoted to the Balkan countries.